A computer that works

Craig Brooksby wrote:
|>Face it - most people just want to use a computer
|>that works - they aren't interested in the economics,
|>politics unless/until they are forced to.

<snip>List of 14 Various complaints</snip>

I don't think I have seen you ask how to solve any of the 14 items on
your list via this list or at a PLUG meeting. This is curious to me. I
suspect that more than once in your computing life you have had a
problem with windows. I am suspecting that you "worked around" those
problems by asking someone for help, a matter of trial and error or just
giving up.

I think to give GNU/Linux a really fair chance you should be asking
knowledgeable people on how to resolve the above complaints. Remember
most people (likely yourself included) get Windows pre-installed on a
machine from the factor. GNU/Linux (I assume) you installed yourself or
possibly by someone that wasn't wholly competent in doing so. So there
are many things you could have done incorrectly installing something you
were not familiar with that are compounding the complaints you have.

| "Most people aren't interested...until they are forced to be" could
| easily be interpreted as imputing laziness to people like me. I think
| that is too simple an interpretation.

You completely removed the two most important words of context in that
quote: "Economics, Politics". I think the original author was saying
that you can't get people to think about "Freedom" as in "Libre" without
forcing their hand.

| Why blame anyone for picking up
| the tools they need to get their work done?

Two things at work here....

1. Think of a formula one car. They are truly badness in a bottle.
However, if someone gave me a formula one car to drive for a daily
driver it would suck. A formula one car drives very differently that my
sedan and really needs a higher level of driver than I am. So until I
practiced some, I would be out of my league. I think to a degree.
Installing and Maintaining GNU/Linux is very much like this. Using it
daily is a different situation. My wife and nine year old use GNU/Linux
daily, but I am there to maintain it.

2. When the common user starts forfeiting rights. For example DMCA and
new DRM technologies etc... They really do affect those of us who care
about freedom. So such apathy can cause us ire.

- -Derek